Can opener



Jiily 10, 1923.

H. E. KEELER CAN OPENER Filed Sept. 20. 1922 Patented July 10, 1923.

UNITED STATES HERBERT ELIJAH KEELER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

can OPENER.

Application filed-September 20', 1922. Serial No. 589,359.

T all whom z'tmay concern Be it known that I, HERBERT ELIJAH KEELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Can Openers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates especially to openers for sardine cans and the like in which the top or part of the can that it is desired to remove is soldered on to the can, and a small portion of the top is left projecting to form a tongue or tag to which the opener can be applied. With such cans it is the custom of dealers to furnish an opener that can be used but once, which often breaks in use, and still oftener is not supplied at all. My invention supplies a tool which is convenient to use, is positive in its action and can be used repeatedly. More specifically it is my purpose to provide an ejector by which the cover, that is wrapped around the shank of the tool after removal, may be readily- 2 forced off.

I obtain my object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a can opener embodying my invention, the same being shown in the act of being applied to a can.

Figure 2 is a pers ective view of the device showing the e ector in the position which it will occupy after it has ejected the cover from the tool.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the tool, the ejector being shown in diametral section.

Figure 4 193. side elevation of a modified type of tool in which the slot for receiving the tongue is located in the tubular injector instead of in the shaft of the device.

Figure 5 shows the same type of tool as Figure 4, but shows the position of the parts when the can top has been ejected.

Like numerals refer to like parts through out the several views.

I have illustrated in Figure 1 a can 1 havin a cover 2 provided with a tongue 3 by which it may be removed. This type of can is primaril the one for which my device is intende although it will be understood that the device is applicable to any type in which there is a projecting tongue by which the removable portion of the can may be removed.

irst referring to the type of tool shown In Figures 1, 2 and 3, the device has a shaft 6 provided with a handle 8 which is preferably integral and may assume various shapes. A slot 10 extends from the outer end of the shaft a sufiicient distance toward the handle to easily accommodate the tongue 3. It will be noted that this slot is open at the outer end. An ejector 11 is slidably mounted on the shaft and is provided with a head or handle 12 by which it may be manipulated. The length of the ejector is such that when it occupies the retractedposition shown in Figures 1 and 3 it will uncover most, if not all, of the slot 10 or at least will lie far enough back from the outer end of the shaft to permit a considerable ortion of the can top to be wrapped aroun it.

In practice, when it is desired to remove the top of the can the ejector 11 is slid back to a position adjacent to the handle as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. The tool is then adjusted so that the tongue 3 comes within slot 10. Theuser then proceeds in the usual manner to rotate the shaft, an operation which removes the cover partially or entirely from the can. In the ordinary can opener the slot in the shaft is not open at the end, and if it were desired to use the device over again it would be necessary to unwrap the can cover from the shaftan o eration that would be diflicult for the 0rd nary user, as these can covers are usually of a suficient thickness of metal to be quite stiff. With my device with its open end and slot it becomes a very simple matter to eject the rolled up can cover, for all that is necessar is for the user to grasp the ejector 11 and push it towards the outer end of the shaft. At times the can cover may frictionally engage the shaft with a considerable pressure, but this can be readily overcome as the ejector is of sufiicient len h to enable the user to grasp it firmly. the shaft is smooth and without obstructions and the end of the slot is open it becomes readily possible under all circumstances to slide the wrapped up cover off the end of the shaft.

The form of tool shown in Figures 4 and 5 is analogous to the one shown in the first three figures of the drawing. In the second form, however, the shaft 15 is tubular and provided with diametrically opposite longitudinal slots 16 which are open at the outer end as in the previous case. The ejector is in the form of a ush rod 18 which fits slidingly within the holllow shaft and is provided with a handle 19 by which it may be manipulated. The shaft is provided with a handle which in the illustrated form consists of integral arms 20 projecting readily outward. In using this type of can opener the tongue 3 of'the can is inserted into the slot 16 and the hollow shaft is thereupon rotated by the handles 20, the can cover becoming wrapped up on the shaft in the same manner as above. During this process of removing the can cover the ejector 18 may or may not be present, according to the fancy of the user. In any event if the push rod is present it will be retracted during the first part of the operation as illustrated in Figure 1. After the can cover has been removed from the can and wrapped upon the hollow shaft in the process it may be ejected by sliding the rod longitudinally against the tongue 3 which at this time will lie within the slot 16 and extend across the shaft in the path of the rod. By pushing the rod outward against the tongue the can cover may be readily forced off the end of the tube. The parts of the tool then occupy the in Figure 5 and the tool is in condition to be used again.

It will be observed that in either form of the device the shaft, whether solid or tubular, is slotted with an open ended slot and the ejector is slidable along the shaft osition shown in such manner as to engage the can cover and slip it off over the outer end of the shaft.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A can opener having a member provided with a slot adapted to receive the' tongue of the can closure, the slot being open at the outer end, and an ejector slidably mounted on said member and adapted to engage the can cover to force it off over the end of said member.

2.. A can opener having a solid shaft provided with a handle by which it may be rotated, said shaft having a longitudinal slot open at the outer end, and a tubular ejector slidably mounted on said shaft, and of a shorter length than the shaft whereby when in retracted position it will uncover a considerable portion of said slot.

3. A can opener having a member provided with a slot adapted to receive the tongue of the can closure, the slot being open at the outer end, and an ejector slidingly mounted on said member and adapted to en age the tongue of the can cover to eject it rom the slotted member.

4. A can opener comprising a straight member having an open ended slot at one end adapted to engage the lipof a can cover, and means connected with same to push a rolled up can cover off from said member.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribedm name.

ERBERT ELIJAI-I KEELER. 

